Search form

“We must walk shoulder-to-shoulder to end all forms of discrimination or injustice against women.”

Did you know? Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to become the governor of an Indian State in 1947!

With the increase in Indian Diaspora and consequently overseas marriages, the number of matrimonial and related disputes in such marriages has also risen. Marriages to Overseas Indians are like any other marriage and may go through the same ups and downs, except that these marriages are governed not only by the Indian legal system but also face the far more complex rules of private international law involving the legal system of the other country. The aggravated risks in such marriages occur due to the woman being isolated far away from home in an alien land, facing constraints of language, lack of knowledge of local police and legal system, lack of support network of friends and family, readily available monetary support and a place to take shelter in. Problems may occur in the absence of proper precautions and sufficient fact finding. Such cases may take the shape of abandonment of spouse for various reasons, domestic violence, extra-marital relationships, delays in the system for acquiring visa/immigration, ex-parte divorce etc.

It is therefore, essential to maintain caution in NRI marriages:

DONTS

Do not take any decision in haste, and do not get pressurized to do so for any reason whatsoever

Do not finalise matters over long distance, on phone or through e-mails

Do not blindly trust any bureau, agent, tout or a middleman

Do not ever agree to forge papers or enter into any fake transaction for any reason or on any pretext

Do not finalise matters in secrecy; publishing the proposal among near and dear ones, friends and relatives could help you in getting vital information which you may not be able to collect otherwise

Do not agree to having only a registered marriage or to getting the marriage solemnized in a far off place

Do not agree to the marriage taking place in a foreign country

Do not file any false case against the spouse

Do not use dowry laws and laws on cruelty as a weapon to harass

DOS

Do insist on the registration of the marriage along with a social marriage. Registration certificate should be carried at all times

Do all the paperwork for the issue of visa and other required formalities at your end – keep all the original papers with yourself

Do keep your passport in your custody at all times. Keep at least one copy of the passport

Do insist on an affidavit from the spouse stating present marital status

Do get an insurance cover before arriving in the new overseas residence

Do have regular and meaningful communication between the two persons and their families

Do make sure that the two persons to be married meet personally and interact freely in a comfortable atmosphere

Do rely on your gut feeling and communicate amongst yourselves, if you sense something is wrong or amiss.